Weapon charge dropped after video of Robin Wortman chasing teen with a knife played in court
The trial of the former Calgary Homeless Foundation board members proceeds on charge of sexual assault
Video of Robin Wortman chasing a 19-year-old down his apartment building's hallway with a knife was played at trial on Tuesday, but the former Calgary Homeless Foundation board member's case for self-defence was so strengthened by the teen's own testimony that the charge of assault with a weapon was stayed by the prosecution.
Immediately after the young man left the witness box, prosecutor Shane Parker told the judge he would not pursue the assault with a weapon charge, leaving a single count of sexual assault to be tried.
The witness — whose identity is protected by a publication ban — told provincial court Judge Heather Lamoureux he and three friends harassed and taunted Wortman for about 90 minutes in an effort to be allowed to stay the night.
Wortman lived across from shelter
At the time, Wortman lived across from Avenue 15, a youth homeless shelter where two teenage witnesses have now testified Wortman would supply them with crystal meth when they hungout at his apartment.
Tuesday's witness said on March 11, 2017 he and and his friends sent Facebook messages and repeatedly buzzed from outside Wortman's apartment building despite his repeated refusals to allow them to stay over.
But after Wortman came down to the front door to tell them to leave, the teens snuck inside and up to his eighth floor apartment. That's when Wortman opened the door holding a chef's knife and began to chase the 19-year-old down the hall.
Rape accusations
The witness said Wortman saw he was scared and changed his mind about allowing him inside the apartment, but the 19-year-old instead took the elevator downstairs where he vandalized the apartment building lobby.
The young man told a similar story to Monday's witness, who said Wortman would have homeless teens over to his apartment where he would supply them with drugs.
On Monday, an 18-year-old testified that he was raped by Wortman on two occasions; Nov. 5 and Nov. 10, 2016.
He said the assaults took place in a second apartment that Wortman had keys to because his bathroom was being renovated. According to the building manager, however, Wortman returned the keys for the second unit on Nov. 7.
GHB found in Wortman's freezer
Under cross-examination, the first complainant waffled on some of the details of his testimony and at times was inconsistent.
The witness testified that he believed he'd been drugged with GHB — also known as the date rape drug.
Child abuse Det. Jeff Klinger, who was the Crown's final witness on Tuesday, said when officers executed a search warrant in March of this year, they found an Evian water bottle in Wortman's freezer.
Parker said the contents of that bottle came back as having tested positive for GHB.
Wortman faces other sexual assault and child pornography charges but a trial date has not yet been set on that matter.